St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-10-20
THE INDIANA RAILROAD HORROR.
Some narrowing incidents.

There was brief mention In last
| CaledOnian of the telescoping of pas
senger cars by a freight engine at a
water station near KOutz, Indiana, and
the killing of more than 20 people. A
young lady from Ohio was one of the
passengers on the i'll -fated train, and
when the crash came, with great pres
ence of mind and energy, she seized an
axe from its resting place on the side
of the car and hewed her way through
to window. Her own safety assured,
she personally aided many persons
from the wreck. To use her own Ian
guage: 81 did all | could and would
have continued had l not heard DIR.
Perry crying and moaning piteously
that his feet were burning. Then my
strength gave way"
A Boston Bartender's Story.
Joseph McCool, bartender of BOs-
ton said 81 was in the passenger
coach which was next to the last car
in the train. Just before midnight L
went into the smoker, which was just
ahead of our car, and chatted for an
hour aud came back to the coach with
young man, who sat down near me.
Just as | had stretched myself out to
go to sleep there was an awful crash.
| could feel myself thrown violently
toward the top of the car, and then l
became insensible. On the way up |
realized that all was confusion in the
air, that canes, valises, rods of iron
and lamps were in the air about me.
must have regained my conscious
ness in very short time, for when L
awoke all was darkness in the car and
horrible shrieks almost deafened me.
In the end of the car furthest from me
the stove was overturned and the
flames were just starting.
There was Il new gas lamp in the
car, with reservoirs reaching from one
to the other. The flames leaped up
the sides, and in less time than L can
tell it the gas was burning the whole
length of the coach over our heads. L
was wedged in between two seats,
where | couldn't move a limb of my
body, and there watched the fire slow
ly creep upon me. 1t was terrible
sight. In the end of the coach near
the fire | could see Il lady caught be-
tween the seats as | was. The fire
slowly crept across the car; she was
soon envelOped in flames and then in
agony she burned before my eyes. just
across from my seat noticed soon be-
fore the accident father, his wife and
daughter. | saw them also crushed
together and burned. just as the
flames we've blazing foot or two away
from me man pulled me into the
aisle and said "COme to the window"
He must have mistaken me for some
one else, for the moment he had look
ed closely at my face, he dropped me
and hurried through the window with
an exclamation of disappointment. L
then painfully crawled after him in
satety.s
How the MiIIers Met Their Fate.
The family named Miller from DIM
dee, Ill.,, were EN- route for Hungary.
There was the father, mother, two
daughters and two sons, who were
hurled over the seats and driven be-
tween the ends of the two cars. The
flames rushed in upon them. The IA
ther had been instantly killed by an
iron rod which ran through his throat,
but the rest of the family were still
alive when the trainmen tried to res
cue them. The men worked with all
their might trying to drag the children
from the pile.
The fire crept nearer and nearer un
til cushion of seat blaZed up just
above the woman's head. The poor
creature tried to speak but she could
make no Ineligible sound. Then she
attempted to pass one of her little girls
whose white dress was stained with
blood, to the rescuers. When she saw
that death was inevitable she closed
her eyes and wrapping her only free
arm around the waists of the children
lying nearest her, awaited the coming
flames. In another moment they had
her and her children and
they were dead. Only one son escap-
ed. He managed to break his way out
of the debris before the flames caught
him.
A middle-aged woman i'll the day
coach was caught under a stove and
burned before the spectators eyes, I'M
til her body was mere parcel OF
blackened flesh.
DIR. Perry's Terrible Death.
DR.. William Perry, the physician OF
the Pan Handle road, was in the sleep
er with his family. The conclusion
threw them i'll heap in the end of the
car. DR.. Perry made terrible strug
gle for life. He succeeded in getting
half of his body through one of the